Which epoxy or filler matches the gel coat color?

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Scott
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Joined: October 12th, 2015, 5:54 am
Location: Santa Cruz

Which epoxy or filler matches the gel coat color?

Post by Scott »

Hi All,

I just acquired a Premier Club and I'm interested in removing the very poorly installed aftermarket ladder. The holes have minor spider cracks radiating out, and I want to chamfer and fill the holes, probably with an epoxy putty like Marine Tex or JB weld.

Can anyone recommend a procedure and or product that will decently match our gel coat?

Thanks!
1994 Premier
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Blue~Go
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Location: 1999 Concourse

Re: Which epoxy or filler matches the gel coat color?

Post by Blue~Go »

Welcome to Chinook ownership and to the forum!

I also have a Club Lounge layout.

Interesting that you have an aftermarket ladder, as all of the Premiers and Concourses I've seen came with one (at least post-mid-90's - I'm not as familiar with the earlier ones).

On the cracks, I would repair them as if I were repairing a gelcoated boat. Gelcoat for shallow scratches, and filler-then-gelcoat for anything deep that just gelcoat won't do. I would write up an explanation, but there are many on the web that do the subject much more justice than I would. I don't repair gelcoat super often, so when I do I refresh my memory by googling something like marine gelcoat repair, and then collating the info.

If the cracks are only superficial (gelcoat), then you can likely reef them out a bit and repair them without going "deeper." If they involve cracks into the actual fiberglass laminate, then you'd want to do a more substantial repair of the underlying laminate (or they will just come back). So it somewhat depends on what you have. Cracks in gelcoat and fiberglass usually have certain patterns that give clues as to what type they are. It's not always easy to tell without being there, but if you could post some photos it might help us to respond better.

I would start with just a basic white gelcoat, because it looks as though our rigs may be just that. If not a match, then you can use tints to make a better match (you add micro-droplets of say, brown, black, or yellow). You can "paint on" some color-mixed gelcoat without the catalyst to see how it matches, and then just wipe it off (it won't harden without the catalyst). Then add catalyst only when you know you have a good match. It can be a bit of an art to color match, but with some luck it may just be basic white.

For some boats and likely some RV's you can get a color code and then buy pre-tinted matching gelcoat, but I have not seen this info for our Chinooks.

BG
1999 Concourse

PS: An epoxy putty like Marine-Tex could work, but it will always be a bit "grainy" and ... just not shiny like gelcoat (molded gelcoat is the original exterior finish). It somewhat depends on your expectations for the end result.
1999 Concourse
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Scott
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Re: Which epoxy or filler matches the gel coat color?

Post by Scott »

Wow! Thanks for the thorough and thoughtful reply. It’s a 1994, so that’s probably why it didn’t come with a factory ladder. The screws go through the shell and into the Arctic foam, and that’s it. I don’t trust it to support my weight, or to be water tight.

Anyway, cosmetics aren’t my number one focus, really. I just want to get the holes filled properly and reliably. I think I’ll see try the color match looks like with the white JB Weld epoxy putty. If there are any other ideas, I’d love to hear ‘em. I’ll report back with the results …

Scott
1994 Premier
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